I also thought that looked super slick and went looking for info. Didn’t turn up anything, but did find this, which could be assembled easily with stuff from from the plumbing aisle at Home Depot:
https://images.app.goo.gl/djbWk5mmeWYd5e316
I wish someone would produce one of these hay hoop sort of things that would hold an entire bale horizontally, rather than vertically.
This is what I did at my last boarding barn. BO’s would not go in the pens and would not fuss with hay nets. So they just tossed hay. In winter that meant in the mud or if the wind was blowing briskly which it often did from the NW, the hay would be gone under the fence. This setup worked great. The barrel was like $5. Be sure it was not used for chemicals. Circular saw to take a good sized panel out of the top. Barrel is bolted to a 2 x 6. You do need some base under the mats so they don’t disappear in the mud. I used shavings or pellets and they do have to be replaced every couple years but owners didn’t want gravel or sand there so shavings it was. You wouldn’t need that many mats either. Believe it or not, I drug most of those mats from barn to barn as needed so I had most of them already. Current horse was at this barn for 15 years so made the effort worth it. I had to replace 2-3 mats over the years. She did have shelter but at the back of the pen.
Anyway, it kept the hay out of the muck and kept it in front of her.
Kyrabee, wonderful frugal solution! If I may ask, what’s the box shaped thing at the bottom right corner of the gate?
Looks to be a gate wheel.
I haven’t read all the way to the bottom but I think hiring the neighbor kid is a great idea. It will not only allow you more time for yourself, but in the (hopefully unlikely) event that you fall ill, someone else will know your system and be able to fill in, like an insurance policy.
Same. I’ve fed from haynets for 11 years and have no issues. I also hang them low, at chest height. My horses don’t paw at them. Several of the boys toss their nets around, throw them into their corner feeders and eat there. Then pull the net out of the feeder, and lick up the alfalfa leaves that fall to the bottom of the feed tub. The nets slow them down, greatly reduce waste.
I feed big bales (3x4x8s) outside in large empty water tanks. Cut the bale in half, re-tie it, then I wrap it in a 10x10 or 12x12 net. Use a skidsteer to move the bale to each field and place it in the water tank under run-in shed. Half bale (approx 5-600lbs) lasts two horses about 10 days. This greatly reduces the time I spend putting hay out; yes, it takes about 20 minutes to split a big bale, net it, and drive it out to the field (opening gates, chasing away hungry mares, etc). However, if I only have to do it once every 7-10 days, depending on how many horses are in the field, it is SO MUCH faster and less wasteful than throwing hay over the fence twice a day.
If I didn’t feed big bales, I would still feed multiple small square bales (netted) inside the tanks outside under the sheds. The tanks keep hooves out of the nets, and hay out of the mud. It is possible to throw loose hay into the tank, cover the tank with a net, and ratchet-strap or bungee the net over the tank (like a belt). I buy my large nets from networldsports.com; use the 2"x2" baseball backstop netting that you can order in any custom size. It will not have a drawstring like a traditional hay net-- after all, it’s meant for batting cages-- but I use twine to lace it around my big squares, or ratchet it around the tank itself. My 12’x12’ nets were about $38 (plus shipping) when I bought them. The netting is pretty good quality; horses will of course eat holes in it eventually, but I have some nets that are 4 years old and still useful with baling twine patches.
These are the ones I use. They fit whole 2 string bales (50lbs) on occasion, other times I just have to pull of the top flake or 2 to get it to close.
No link on the feeder sorry! It was just something I had seen on the web and found again on Google image search.
I also think hiring the neighbor’s kids sounds like a great idea and probably your best solution.
I will just add one more thought that may or may not be doable. Two of my run-in sheds have attached storage areas for winter hay to be fed in their hay hut. The furthest shed has the largest storage area - an extra 10ft will hold a winter’s worth of hay usually (they come in barn at night), the other one is half that size but is also closer to the barn and for a smaller paddock. Each one has wood floors up off the ground. You still have to walk out there to fill the net, but it is quite a bit less work than dragging bales out with a sled or cart daily, which is what I used to do. It would incur a cost to add on, but perhaps one of your neighbors would be able to build an addition on your sheds for a reasonable price? And here I go with some additional dreaming – maybe you could incorporate one of those open-at-the-top nets talked about in posts above in the wall separating storage and run-in and fill nets through a “window” in the shed - the hay going right from storage space into the net? Note that I’ve never seen that done and haven’t thought it through completely, but it just sounds like it would make things easier. Anyhow, dreaming aside, you have the neighbor boy(s) as an option and that sounds like something you can do right away and will be beneficial to both you and the boy(s).
btw, I love that you have such great neighbors and that you are in turn a great neighbor to them.
Buy a water trough for each pasture where you need hay, and toss your bale with the bale net into the trough. If you need to secure it to the inside of the trough, drill two holes side-by-side, and run a heavy-duty zip tie through the holes. Then clip the hay net to the zip tie.
I’ve been doing this for a few years now (I use a different container, but same thing). Works beautifully.
As someone else suggested, I recommend filling up all your nets all at once. I bought a bunch of extra nets when they were on sale, and I fill them up one day a week. That’s where you’re losing a lot of time.
With bad shoulders I can see why doing the bales wouldn’t be good. Glad you have kids available. Sounds like they are workers and available. Use them!
Yes, a gate wheel. That was just a fence panel, not a proper gate. It was a pain to deal with so I put the wheel on it. Horsie was at that barn for 15 years. Paddocks were self care except for hay (fed 2x/day). I fixed it how I wanted it (with OK from BO).
This is the closest I could find, bet you already saw it:
Have seen people that just stick hay thru pipe panels hang a net with the opening between two pipes so they can keep pushing hay in there, but now it falls into the net.
Easy to feed, don’t have to keep the net open and hang it again.
Here is an interesting article on hay feeders:
Thank you!
Oh hey, someone HAS made a hay hoop type thing that takes an entire small bale sideways! Good find!
I noticed the details of the Slow Feed Hay Net you’re interested in, and it seems like a great fit for your needs. These nets come in two sizes, the larger one at 63" x 40", which can hold a whole 120lbs 3-string hay bale or 3/4 round bale, and a smaller size at 35" x 31", suitable for up to 40 lbs of hay. What’s impressive is the material – a cotton-like durable terylene and polypropylene mix that’s softer and more wear-resistant than traditional nylon, ensuring both durability and gentleness on horses’ lips and muzzles.
The knotless design is a standout feature, especially beneficial for older horses or those with sensitive gums and mouths, as it prevents dental damage. Plus, it’s user-friendly with two carabiner clips, handle rings at each end, and a support tie in the middle for easy hanging in various locations. The large opening makes filling the net hassle-free.
Most importantly, the 1.2" net holes are designed to reduce hay waste significantly, ensuring that the hay lasts longer and minimizes ground mess. This could be a real game-changer for your farm by combining efficiency and horse care.
You can take a look at Knotless Slow Feed Hay Net
can’t agree more!!!
Time is money - money is time.
I’d feed on the ground at that labor rate difference.
@S1969 Went back to feeding on the ground. Yesterday was -30 here, all clips froze --no choice but to toss a bale over the fence --felt ok about that after reading @Bluey post about dangers of hay nets. I may go back to a few nets in the spring, but not doing the entire herd in hay nets for the rest of winter. Too cold. I just may ride tomorrow --supposed to be a balmy -10!
There are also recorded instances where hay nets hung higher, where horses have to twist head and neck to pull in odd angles, have been known to cause some stiff and sore horses over time.
We have always fed on the ground and last decades on regularly swept rubber mats.
We also only fed what will be eaten right then, where there is no left by next feeding.
How much waste depends on the hay, alfalfa has hardly any waste, is all good, some grass hays of poorer quality may have horses waste more, just would have to clean more often.
Even in stalls, one corner swept out for hay, works well, but we have larger stalls and communal runs under roof for several horses.
Serious advantages of feeding on the ground are horse’s health, eating with heads down encourages draining of head and lungs.
Feeding above withers like in higher feeders or hanging nets may cause runny eyes and noses, more hay and hay dust getting in there as they pull and eat, especially where is windy.
We had the rare horse that had neck or back problems, could not lower head, injured or maybe a reaction to a vaccine and had to drink and eat at extended head height.
Those we put in a pen by themselves and fed off something at their height until well.
As always, no rules of thumbs, each horse managed however is best for that horse at that time, never say never.
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